Workshop: 5 Ways Renters Can Get the Latest Education from CosmoProf

Attendees at CosmoProf Learning Centers get a close-up view no matter where they sit, thanks to a high-tech audio-visual system.

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Nail demos give everyone an up-close-and-personal experience.

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With nearly 1,000 stores, 190 classrooms, six Learning Centers and a new series of “Best-of-the Best” Events, CosmoProf Offers Hundreds of Affordable Ways for all salon professionals—including Solo Artists—to Access Professional Education.

Whether you want to discover new products, master ombre, brush shoulders with top artists or satisfy CEU requirements, CosmoProf has what you need. The best part: even many upscale events are super affordable for all salon professionals, including chair and suite renters.

Lindsay Quaglia, National Education Manager, CosmoProf, says all of CosmoProf’s in-store and Learning Center classes, off-site events and shows are created for the individual. “Whether you are a chair or suite renter, an employed stylist or a salon owner, we support you and can help you build your strengths.”

This is particularly key for those who go it alone, because if you are a renter who is unsure about what color line to use or are changing lines for a different price point, often, as an individual, you may not meet the minimum required order to access some suppliers’ education. Quaglia notes, “That’s just what our in-store classes are meant for, because there is no order barrier to get top-notch education.”

So, just how can you learn with CosmoProf? Here’s an overview:

In-Store Education

If you want to hear about the latest trends, discover new products, take a hands-on class in babylights or learn new cutting or upstyling techniques, you can take a half-day or full-day class for just $75 to $100 at one of the 190 stores with classrooms. (Three-hour Look-and-Learn classes are just $25.) If your local CosmoProf store has no classroom, you can still talk with educators during special “in-store” days. To find out what’s happening when in your area, just click on the link to CosmoProf Shows and Education.

Off-Site Learning

If your local store has no classroom, no problem! Just look for an off-site event. At the same link above, you’ll discover a wide range of off-site training, held at hotels, host salons and other venues. Often, these venues hold a larger number of attendees, so they’re great places to network, find a mentor or connect with other Solo Artists. Educational events include both single and multiple-manufacturers, so you can learn all the newest trends in one day.

Best of the Best

Would you like to meet, learn from and chat with top artists like Beth Minardi or Sonya Dove? Last year, Quaglia introduced a uniquely experiential “Best-of-the-Best” approach to learning, and she says, CosmoProf’s customers love it. With top-name artists, VIP treatment and a cost of $99, what’s not to love?

Explains Quaglia, “Every event involves four top artists who are on stage for 90 minutes each, which allows our customers to get an overview of the industry now and learn the latest trends. Each also takes place at a special venue; we’ve held them at the Harley Davidson Museum, Churchill Downs and a Vineyard. Additionally, we serve attendees breakfast, valet their cars and hold a cocktail party after the event, so they can meet the artists and take photos with them. Attendees also get a gift bag with products from each vendor—the gift bags alone are worth more than $99.”

In 2016, there will be 10 Best-of-the-Best events held throughout the country, and each maxes out at 400 attendees. Already, they’ve proven to be one of the best places for Solo Artists to network and enjoy every advantage of a top salon owner.

Learning Centers

If you’re lucky enough to be near a CosmoProf store with one of the six, upscale Learning Centers, you’ll be able to enjoy one-to-three day learning events that feature well-known artists. The high-tech centers all have stages, large-screen TVs, shampoo bowls and audio-visual set-ups that allow attendees to see all the action up close. And, when it comes to the hands-on work, the store has you covered by supplying foils, mannequin heads or models and everything you need except for your basic tools (brushes, shears, blowers). Vendors that have held academy-style classes in the centers include Paul Mitchell, Wella, Product Club, American Crew, Rusk and Goldwell. While these in-depth classes are a little pricier (Martin Parson’s recent class was $650), they offer incredibly unique opportunities to learn from the best.

According to Quaglia, “We even use our Learning Center to help our customers in competitions. For example, the previous year’s winner of Goldwell’s Color Zoom competition came in for a three-day class to coach attendees in working with their models to enter the next year’s competition.”

To balance out the fact that many vendor’s academies are in New York or Los Angeles, the Learning Centers include one in Canada, and five in the Central U.S. According to Quaglia, twenty more Learning Centers are planned for the next two years.

Online Learning

While CosmoProf customers can currently view how-tos by vendor brand online, in March, 2016, CosmoProf will launch its new E-learning platform, where any customer can access a digital library of educational videos. Viewers will be able to start and stop the videos at will, and search for them by brand, category, trend and more. Whether you want to get a close-up view of razoring techniques or learn the best way to cover gray, you’ll be able to do it right from home, for free.

CEU Credits

If your state requires CEU classes and credits, you can take a class at a store with a classroom or by March, take one online. While there is a nominal fee in person or on-line, CosmoProf takes care of everything for you, including sending your completed hours and paperwork to your State Board. You can also find these classes by brand, category, date and location at Cosmprofbeauty.com.

Of course, because every hairdresser loves a show, CosmoProf also holds a variety of Fashion Focus shows across the country, which now feature a barbering stage, in addition to a central stage. The shows include a variety of classes, including ones that lead to CEU credits, where applicable.

“Many of our classes are technique driven but in the future, we’ll be ramping up our business and social media education,” says Quaglia. “No matter who you are in the professional beauty world, we have the right class for you.”

To make sure you receive the latest info, education updates and other special benefits from CosmoProf, be sure to register your CosmoProf ProBeauty membership card and sign up for all email and text alerts. Visit your local store or cosmoprofbeauty.com for more details.

When it comes to discussing her hair, your techniques, the newest trends and even the best place to get gluten-free food, you can talk to your client confidently and endlessly. But when it’s time for her to pay the bill, your poise plummets, you avoid eye contact and you try to wrap up the transaction as quickly as possible.

After working in many salons as an employee, manager, wedding coordinator and as a self-employed stylist, Gioia Gomez, currently based at Akasu Hair Studio & Spa, in Portland, Oregon, found the perfect balance. “There are many different ways to be a productive, proﬁtable hairdresser. No one way is the right way for everyone,” she says. “I’ve found being a solo artist is a perfect ﬁt for me.”

After working in many different salons as an employee, manager, wedding coordinator and as a self-employed stylist, Gioia Gomez, currently based at Akasu Hair Studio & Spa, found the perfect balance. “There are many different ways to be a productive, profitable hairdresser. No one way is the right way for everyone,” she says. “I’ve found being a solo artist is a perfect fit for me.”

New Year, new resolutions! We asked our SOLO Artist Advisory Council, a panel of industry experts who lend their voices to important topics for independent stylists, their opinion on “What new, creative business strategies should Solo Artists try in 2018?”

Let the gift giving begin! The holiday season is upon us—how will you treat yourself and your clients? CosmoProf is celebrating the spirit of the season by offering duos, trios and gift sets from your favorite brands.